Game apparatus.



srmvnr m LAMB; on-nnwwonK; No 2.4

GAME. LAPPABAEUSZQ Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 8,1916.

Application filed February 8,1912; seriai'Nb; 676-324;: j

ToaZl whom it mag/concern? Be it known that I, SIDNEY'R. LAMB, a

citizen of the United States, residing'at New York city, countyof-New York, and State of New York,.have-inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in' Game Apparatus, fully described and representedln the following specification and accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.-

The object of this invention is to provide animproved game apparatus which shall afford amusement and also give opportunity for the exercise of skillin its use. p Features of the invention may be embodied in apparatus for use in playing-various games.

An apparatus embodying all the features of the invent-ion in: a preferred form comprises a representation of a face, and especiallya human face, with an open-mouth and provided with teeth showing normally between the lips, and mounted so that when struck they will disappear from sight, and a ball tethered by means of a stretchable elastic string for strikingthe teeth when re leased after being drawn away from the face to stretch the tether string. By holding'the ball so that the string shall pull tangentially thereon and then by releasing it with the fingers suitably placed on the ball, it may be directed so as to cause it to strike to one side or the other, or above or below the point of attachment of the inner end of the tether string as desired, all as more fully explained hereafter.

A full understanding of the invention can best be given by a detailed description of a construction embodying certain features of the invention in a simple form, and

of a preferred construction in which the invention is embodied in an apparatus having a face with an open mouth and disappearing teeth as above referred to, and such a description will now be given in 00111160- tion with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view in elevation of a preferred form of game apparatus in which the main body or target of the apparatus represents a human face and the disappearing indicators are formed to represent teeth showing in the open mouth of the face. Fig.

. 2 is a broken rear view. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section on line 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a detail referred to hereinafter.

Referring now to the drawings, the target to represent a human face having an open mouth 30, 'andhavlng disappearing indicators'madeto represent; upper and lower and inarked to represent the face is, as shown here,-mounted in a solid base 3:2. It willbe understood, of course, that a folding base might be provided in any suitable man- .ner.' The strikingball20 is shown, as before, tethered tothe face preferably at a point above themo-uth by means of a stretchable, elastic string 21. a

Theteeth may be formedin any suitable way soas to disappearw-hen struck from 'the fr'ont. As shown inF-igs-Q and 3, each tootlnis formed or carried by, the'end aspi ing piece or carrier 33 which extends 'backof the plate-forming the face and is teeth 31. The uprightplate which is shaped doubled on itself and provided with a rearwardly extendingend 3'4.v These doubled spring pieces are mounted in suitable open- .ings13'5 in-the: end walls or flanges of a back plate: 36 which 'issecured' on'the back of the faceplate behind-"the mouth, and the rearwardly extending ends 34 project through other openings 37 in the plate 36 so as to guide thesetooth=carryiirg spring pieces. \Vhen in position with its tooth showing in the mouth, each spring piece is held with its tooth in this position by a stop or detent38' which engages the edge of the face plate and prevents its moving upward or downward as the case may be under the pressure of a spring 40. When a tooth is struck from the front or otherwise pushed inward, however,

as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, its detent 38 will be moved away from the face plate and the tooth and its spring carrier will befree to move under the pressure of its spring 40 to carry the tooth out of sight behind the face plate. Teeth which have been released and have disappeared may be readily returned to normal or visible position by pressing upward or downward, as the case may be, on the rearwardly extending ends 34 of their corresponding carriers. By drawing the ball forward'to stretch the string and then releasing it in such a way as to direct its flight, the various teeth may, therefore, be struck and caused to disappear. By holding the ball so that the elastic string shall pull tangentially thereon and then re leasing while a finger is more or less in front of the ball, the ball may be caused to strike any desired' portion of the target either above or below or to either side of the point of attachment of the tether string to the target, and may, therefore be directed with the ideaof striking any desired tooth.

A free ball might, of course, be used to throw at the teeth, especially if the face were of large size.

It may sometimes be desirable to arrange the apparatus so that one or more of the teeth will be permanently set in position or prevented from disappearing. In Fig. 4: a single tooth 31 is shown as secured permanently to the rear side of the face plate.

What is claimed is:

1. A game apparatus comprising a target made to represent a face with an open mouth.

and having teeth which normally show in the mouth, and a striking ball tethered by a stretchable elastic string, the teeth being formed by a plurality of independently movable parts mountedto disappear from sight when hit by the ball.

2. A. game apparatus comprising a target made to represent a face with an open mouth, and having teeth normally showing in the mouth, the teeth being formed each of an independently movable part mounted to disappear from sight when hit from the front.

3. A game apparatus comprising a target made to represent a face with an open mouth, and having teeth normally showing in the mouth, the teeth being mounted to disappear from sight when hit from the front.

4. A game apparatus comprising a target made to represent a face with an open "mouth, and having teeth normally showing .mouth, and having a plurality of disappearing teeth and one or more fixed teeth, and

means for holding said disappearing teeth in visible position and for causing them to disappear when struck.

7. A game apparatus comprising a representation of a human face with an open mouth, and having a plurality of disappearing teeth normally showing in the mouth, retracting means for each of said teeth formed to cause the tooth to disappear when struck, and a striking ball tethered by a stretchable elastic string.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SIDNEY R. LAMB. Witnesses i A. L. IQEN'IQ' JEANNETTE .STORK.

- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, I). C. 

